How to Set Up PayID in Australia: Every Major Bank, Limits and Scams

PayID lets people pay you using your mobile number or email address instead of a BSB and account number. You create it once in your bank’s app or online banking, link it to one of your accounts, and from then on anyone in Australia can pay you instantly (usually within about a minute, any time of day) by typing your phone number or email. It is free at the banks that publish their fees, it works across almost every Australian bank, and it shows the sender your registered name so they know the money is going to the right person.

This guide shows exactly where to find PayID in the CommBank, ANZ, Westpac, St George, Bank of Melbourne, BankSA, NAB, ING, Macquarie, Bendigo, Bankwest and ubank apps, what to do if you are a new arrival with an overseas phone number, the daily limits that actually apply, how to pay someone safely, what to do if you send money to the wrong person, and how the Marketplace “upgrade your PayID” scam works. Everything below was checked against the banks’ own help pages in October 2026, and where a bank does not publish a figure we say so rather than guess.

TL;DR: Setting Up PayID

• Open your bank app, find PayID (usually under Payments, Profile or Settings), pick your mobile number or email, choose the account to link and confirm with the code your bank sends you.
• Use an Australian mobile number or an email address. Several banks only accept the mobile number already on your bank profile, and some terms say Australian mobile, so new arrivals with an overseas SIM should register an email PayID instead.
• One PayID links to one account, and each mobile or email can be registered at only one bank at a time. To move it, start the transfer at the old bank and finish at the new one within 14 days.
• There is no separate PayID limit. Payments count toward your bank’s normal daily Pay Anyone limit, which ranges from about $1,000 to $5,000 by default and can usually be raised.
• PayID is free to set up and use at the major banks that publish fees. If anyone asks you to pay to “upgrade” a PayID, it is a scam.

What Is PayID and How Does It Work?

PayID is a label, a mobile number, email address, ABN or other identifier, that points to your bank account on the New Payments Platform (NPP). The NPP is the always-on payment system that connects Australian banks, credit unions and many fintechs. When someone pays your PayID, their bank looks up the account behind it, shows them the registered name for confirmation, and sends the money through the NPP, usually within a minute. Your BSB and account number are never shown to the payer.

Individuals register a mobile number or email address. Businesses can also register an ABN, an ACN or an Organisation Identifier, which is covered further down. For a broader overview of PayID, including limits and business use, see our complete PayID Australia guide, and if you are opening your first account see how to open a bank account in Australia.

PayID vs BSB and Account Number: Which Is Better?

Is PayID safer than BSB and account number? The name check is the real benefit. Because the payer sees the registered name before confirming, a mistyped or wrong identifier is much easier to catch. But PayID does not stop you from being scammed into paying or being paid by a scammer, which is covered in the scams section below.

Before You Start: What You Need

• An open Australian bank account that can receive NPP payments. Most everyday and savings accounts can, but some do not. For example, ING’s Savings Booster cannot have a PayID and receives by BSB and account number instead.
• Banking app or online banking access and your normal login. Some banks, such as Macquarie and Up, need your identity checks to be complete first.
• An Australian mobile number or an email address that is already on your bank profile, because the bank sends the confirmation code there.
• To be the account owner. Signatories with authority only (no ownership) are generally not allowed to register a PayID on someone else’s account.

International students and new arrivals

If you have just landed and still use your home SIM, the safest route is to register an email PayID, or get an Australian prepaid SIM and add that number to your bank profile first. Bankwest’s terms specifically refer to an Australian mobile number, CommBank only lets you register the primary mobile on your profile, and we could not confirm the overseas-number policy at the other major banks, so we do not promise it will work. Email is accepted at most major banks. Our guides to the best SIM cards for newcomers and the best bank accounts for international students cover both steps.

Where to Find PayID in Each Bank App

Menu names change, so if you cannot find the option, use the search function in the app and type “PayID”. These paths are taken from each bank’s own help pages in October 2026.

How to Set Up PayID With CommBank

1. Open the CommBank app and go to Profile, then PayID (in NetBank: Settings, Payment Settings, PayID).
2. Choose your mobile number or email. Only the primary mobile on your CommBank profile can be registered. To use a different number, update your profile first or call 13 2221.
3. Pick the eligible account you want payments to land in and check the display name.
4. Confirm with your NetCode. Your PayID is live and you can create more than one PayID on the same account.

Joint account holders can each link their own mobile to the account. Business ABN and ACN PayIDs are arranged through the bank’s business team and can take up to 7 business days.

How to Set Up PayID With ANZ and ANZ Plus

ANZ has two separate apps and two separate flows, so check which one you use. In the classic ANZ App, go to Profile (bottom right), then Payments, then PayID. In Internet Banking, go to Settings, then Manage your PayIDs. Your mobile or email must already be on your ANZ profile and ANZ sends a verification code to it. Only accounts that can receive NPP payments are eligible.

In ANZ Plus, tap the profile icon, then Payment Settings, then PayID, and press Register next to your mobile or email. ANZ Plus Everyday and Flex Saver accounts are eligible, including joint accounts. To change the linked account later, you deregister and register again.

How to Set Up PayID With Westpac

Update the Westpac app, search for PayID and follow the prompts. In Online Banking go to Service, then Services, then PayID, then Register now. You need an eligible personal transaction account, and your mobile PayID must match the number you receive Westpac Protect SMS codes on. Business customers can register an ABN. To move a PayID in from another bank, Westpac’s PayID team (1300 655 505, 8am to 8pm Sydney time, 7 days) can put it into a transfer state.

How to Set Up PayID With St George, Bank of Melbourne and BankSA

These three Westpac Group brands use the same screens. Open the app, go to Services, then Manage my PayID details. On desktop, use Transfer, payments and BPAY, then Manage my, then PayID, or My details and settings, then My Information, then PayID.

• Eligible accounts: at St George, Complete Freedom, Complete Freedom Offset, Concession and Retirement Access Plus accounts can send and receive. Savings and investment accounts are receive-only.
• It must be your own account. Accounts where you only have authority to operate are not allowed.
• Your PayID name is your name (or registered business name) and cannot be changed.
• Changing a mobile or ABN at BankSA: call 13 13 76, close the PayID and create a new one.

How to Set Up PayID With NAB

1. In the NAB app tap More (Menu on Android), then Settings, then Payments, then view or create PayIDs. In a browser use Profile and Settings, then PayID Settings, then Create PayID.
2. Choose the account, the PayID type (mobile, email or ABN) and a display name.
3. Enter the code NAB sends to your mobile or email.

Only sole or joint account owners can create a PayID. Editing, transferring, locking or closing a PayID must be done in Internet Banking in a browser, not the app.

How to Set Up PayID With ING, Macquarie, Bendigo, Bankwest and ubank

ING

In the new ING app go to More, Manage, Settings, Payments, PayID, Create PayID, select your mobile and account, accept the terms and enter the SMS code. Eligible accounts include Orange Everyday, Savings Maximiser, Savings Accelerator, Business Optimiser, Orange Advantage and Mortgage Simplifier. Savings Booster cannot have a PayID.

Macquarie

Online go to Settings, Manage PayID, Create PayID. In the app go to Menu, then PayID. You must finish identity verification first, and Macquarie can decline a request if it suspects fraud or the identifier is already registered elsewhere. Transaction, offset, savings and business savings accounts are eligible.

Bendigo Bank

Go to Settings, Manage PayIDs, tap the plus button, choose the account and your mobile or email, enter a security token if asked, then the 6-digit code sent by SMS or email. Business PayIDs and locking, closing or transferring are handled by phone (1300 236 344) or in branch.

Bankwest

PayID is registered through Online Banking (website or mobile app) with a one-time code. Joint account holders can each register their own, but signatories who are not account owners cannot. We could not confirm the exact app menu path on an official page, so use the app search for “PayID”.

ubank

PayID is created in the ubank app on the Profile tab. You link your mobile or email to a Spend, Bills or Save account, and the app warns you if the identifier is already registered somewhere else.

Revolut, Wise and Up

Revolut Australia says customers can register a PayID using a phone number or email confirmed by a 6-digit code. Up says you can register your own PayID in the Up app after identity checks. Wise gives you a unique PayID email address so that you can receive AUD payments, but we could not confirm that you can register your own mobile or email PayID there.

How to Pay Someone Using PayID

1. In your banking app choose Pay someone and add a new payee as a PayID (mobile, email, ABN or ACN).
2. Enter their PayID and look at the name the bank shows you. Stop if it is not the person or business you expect.
3. Enter the amount and a description (CommBank allows up to 280 characters), then confirm the payment with your usual security step.
4. Wait for the receipt before handing over anything valuable.

PayID Daily Limits by Bank

PayID has no limit of its own. Payments count toward the daily Pay Anyone limit set by your bank, and the NPP itself has no transaction cap, so each bank decides. These are the published defaults we could confirm. Where a bank does not publish a figure, we do not guess.

Is PayID Free? Fees

Westpac, St George, Bank of Melbourne, BankSA and CommBank say PayID is free to set up and use. We could not find fee statements for ANZ, NAB, ING, Macquarie, Bendigo or ubank, but the cost to the customer is zero in normal use, and your bank may change its terms with notice. The key point is that nobody legitimate will ever charge you to register or “upgrade” a PayID.

Wrong PayID or Mistaken Payment: Can You Get It Back?

PayID payments are fast, so mistakes are hard to undo. If you paid the wrong person, contact your bank straight away and ask for a mistaken payment recall. Under the process explained by AFCA, if the money is still in the recipient’s account and the details do not match:

• Within 10 business days, the money is returned.
• From 10 business days to 7 months, the receiving bank freezes the funds and the recipient has 10 business days to prove they are entitled to them.
• After 7 months, the money is returned only if the recipient agrees.

If your bank does not help, you can complain to AFCA (the Australian Financial Complaints Authority). This process covers genuine mistakes. Being tricked by a scammer into paying is a different situation, so tell your bank and report the scam as well.

PayID Scams: The Marketplace "Upgrade" Trick

Our Facebook Marketplace scams guide covers the wider picture. The most common PayID scam targets people selling on Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree or eBay. A “buyer” asks for your PayID or email, then sends an email that looks like it is from your bank saying the payment is on hold until you upgrade your account to a business account, or pay a fee or deposit to release the money. PayID is free, so any request to pay to use or upgrade it is a scam.

• Never share your banking passwords, codes or NetCodes with a buyer.
• Do not click links in emails claiming to be from your bank. Open the app directly.
• Be wary of overpayment and refund requests and of buyers who push you to move off the platform.

Changing, Moving or Closing a PayID

Move your PayID to another bank

A PayID can only live at one bank. To move it, start the transfer at the bank that holds it. That puts the PayID in a transfer state, and payments keep going to the old account. Then register the same mobile or email at the new bank within 14 days, or it stays with the old bank. Macquarie, ANZ Plus, St George and Bankwest all state this 14 day window.

Change the mobile, email or linked account

At most banks you close the old PayID and create a new one. In some apps you can switch the linked account yourself. Closing is usually immediate, and Bankwest says it completes within 24 hours. If you close the linked account, the PayID is closed automatically, for example within 24 hours at Macquarie.

Delete a PayID

Use the same PayID menu in your app or online banking and choose the option to close or deregister. At NAB and Bendigo the closing step may only be available in Internet Banking or by phone.

PayID Not Working? Common Problems

PayID for Business

Businesses can register an ABN, ACN or Organisation Identifier, which keeps a personal phone number off invoices. CommBank handles ABN and ACN PayIDs through its business team (up to 7 business days), ANZ lets business customers use ABN and ACN in the app and Internet Banking, St George group banks use the Business profile, and Bendigo handles business PayIDs by phone or in branch. A unique email-format PayID is also an option, and many invoicing apps now accept PayID as a payment method.

Can You Use PayID Overseas?

PayID is an Australian system for sending Australian dollars between Australian bank accounts. It is not designed for sending money to or from overseas bank accounts. To send money overseas you need an international transfer or a provider such as Wise.

What Changed in 2026

• Confirmation of Payee has been rolling out since July 2025 for BSB and account number payments. It compares the name you type with the account name and tells you if it does not match. It is advisory only and does not apply to PayID, because PayID already shows the registered name.
• The federal government and the banks are working on new scam rules. The proposed Scams Prevention Framework rules were released in draft form in May 2026 and the banking code obligations (payee confirmation, payment recalls, monitoring) are expected from at least March 2027, so check Treasury and your bank for the latest.

A Few Extra Ways to Protect Your Banking Details

PayID’s name check helps stop misdirected payments, but a few physical habits add another layer of protection around the accounts it is linked to.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

PayID is one of the most useful things you can set up in your first week in Australia. Register your mobile or email in your bank app, link it to the account you actually use, and you can get paid by friends, flatmates and Marketplace buyers without sharing your account number. Check the name on every payment you make, check the money is in your own app before you hand over anything, remember that PayID never costs anything to use, and treat any request to pay for an upgrade as a scam. Bank apps change, so for the latest steps and limits always check your bank’s own help pages.